Setting-out machine



J y 8, 1930. J. A. MEYER SETTING-OUT MACHINE Filed May 28, 1926 s Sheets$heet 1 July 8, 1930.

J. A. MEYER SETTING-OUT MACHINE s sheets sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1926 'IIlIHI v 11!:

gvwemtoz a). 61 3R3 Q'M OMMMZU J. A. MEYER SETTING-OUT MACHINE I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 28, 1926 Patented July 8, 1930 UNITED STATES JOSEPH A. MEYER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY sn'r'rme-ou'r MACHINE Application filed May 28, 1926. Serial No. 112,196.

This invention pertains to setting out machines for treating hides at one stage of the leather tanning process.

In the past the setting out process has been largely a manualoperation. The hides are laid on or over flat tables or frames and then workmen go over the whole surface of the hide with hand tools which serve to stretch the hide and iron out all creases or wrinkles therein, in which condition it passes under th fans to be dried.

The method above described is very slow and expensive. The tools or scrapers are very small compared to the size of the hide and it is therefore necessary for the workfiein to make hundreds of strokes on each The object of thepresent invention is to provide a machine which will perform the setting out operation much more rapidly and cgeaply than it can be done by present metho sides of the frame and accomplish as muchv in one or two strokes as the hand-operated scrapers accomplish in many strokes.

The motion of my scrapers is so controlled as to traverse the hanging portions of the hide in two directions, downward and endwise, so as to stretch it in all directions from the back portion.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims and shown in the drawings, which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the pre-' ferred embodiment of the invention. 7 Fig. 1 is a side View of my machine with a hide in position.

s. A hide stretches least along the back porgig. 2-is a view of Fig- 1 from the right en Fig. 3 is a front view of the hide frame.

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3.

Fi 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showlng details ofthe device for separating the blades and holding themapart during their up stroke.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2 showing a modification of the blades in which 0 rollers are used.

Fig. 7 is a modification of the blades in which a plurality of small blades are used in place of one long'blade.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88-.of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a modification in which the sweeps have a'continuous rotary motion instead of a reciprocatory motion as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a view on line 1010 of Fig. 9.

The hide frame 20 (Figs. 1 2, 3 and 4) 7 comprises the vertical end bars 22, tied together at the top by horizontal pipe or tube 24 and at the bottom by bar 25. Connecting pipe 24 and bar 25 are a plurality of vertical tubes 26 preferably secured by welding at top and bottom. Bar 25 is the same thickness as the diameter of tubes 26. Tubes 26 are of considerably smaller diameter than pipe 24, and the space between them is filled with wooden boards 28, the thickness thereof being equal to or somewhat greater than the diameter of tubes 26. Across boards 28 and tubes 26 is a second layer'of boards 30, running at an angle to layer 28. Outside of layer 30 is still another layer ofboards 32, running across the direction of layer 30. This style of construction is adopted for the hide frame for the purpose of reducing the warping of the frame to a minimum.

The boards are of such thickness that the outer surface of layer 32 is tangent to the sides of pipes 24. The various layers of boards are fastened together by countersunk screws, and the outer layers are likewise secured to the longitudinal bars at the top and bottom of the frame. I

Extending upwardly from each end bar 22 is a hook member 34, bearing at its upper end a roller 36 mounted for rotationon a stud 38, the axis of which is parallel to pipes 1 9 24. Rollers 36 find their utility in connection with a conveyor system which forms no part of the present invention.

Hooks 34 are shaped to hang frame 20 from horizontal rail 40.

Preparatory to being operated upon by the setting out machine, the hide 41 is draped over frame 20, with the back portion of the hide resting on upper pipe 24, with its sides and belly portions hanging down on both sides of the frame. Then-the frame is pushed along rail 40 to the position shown in Fig. 1,

which shows the frame and hide inoperative position. i I M V The setting out machine proper comprises an upright frame 42 at each end and a cross frame 44 secured to the uprights. r

There is a horizontal shaft 46 supporte for rotation at the upper end of each frame 42, and fast toeach shaft is a pair ofblades orsweeps 50 (Figs. 1 and 2) one blade-ar ranged to sweep across the front and one the rear of hide frame 20 as will appear. Each blade has a hub 52 extending along shaft 46.

The outerend of each hub .52 is counter-bored to accommodate a compression spring 54,

the outer end ofwhich bears against a boss 56 supported on frame42 for the purpose of urging blades 50 towards hide frame 20.

I On shaft 46 between blades 50 is the gear .58 which serves as a spacer between blades 50. The web of gear 58 has two diametrically opposite thick portions 60 and two diametrically opposite comparatively thin portions 62. Onthe adj acentfaces ofeach of blades 50 is apair of humps 64, and these humps normally rest in the thin portions 62 of gear 60, in which position the blades are spaced apart a distanceapproximately equal to the thickness'of frame 20 with no hide on it.

The machine is operated by motor 66, on the shaft ofwhich is sprocket wheel 68, which through chain drives gear 7 2 fast on shaft 74, which turns shaft 74 in the same direction as the motor. Fast on shaft 7 4 is gear 76, in mesh with a similargear 78 fast on shaft 80, which therefore turns at the same speed as shaft 7 4 but in the opposite direction.

, Between shafts 74 and 80 is the end of shaft 82 which is the main driving shaft of themachine. "Mountedfor free rotation on shaft 82 are two similar-clutch gears 84 and 86. 1 In mesh WithQgear 84 is gear 88 fast on shaft 74, and .enmesh with gear 86 is gear 90 fast on shaft 80.

86, isthe sliding member 92 of the clutchcombination. Each end of member 92 has jaws suitable to engage corresponding jaws on gears 84 or86. When member92 is in its mid-position it engages neither gear when pushed to the left :it engages the ,j awsonigear i84i-and thenshaft 82 turns with gear84 in .-the same tlireotionvas the motor, when pushed to the right it -Yengages .gear 6 and lever 96.

shaft 82 turns in the direction opposite to the motor. In the illustration the gearing is such that shaft 82 turns at the same speed in either direction but such an arrangement is not essential. The speed may be faster in one direction than the other if desired.

Pivoted at 94 on a collar on shaft 80 is the Set collars 98 prevent. 94 from moving longitudinally on shaft 80. Lever 96 at its middle engages shifter member 92, :and at its free vend is provided with a nut which engages the right and left worm 100 on shaft 7 4. This means that while the motor is running, lever. 96 is swung back and forth continually, carrying shifter member 92 with it. Consequently, shaft 82 turns first in one direction and then 'inithe other direction, with a period of rest between each reversal, while member 92 is engaged with neither gear 84 or 86. i v

At each end of the machine shaft 82 is provided with a bevel gear 102, which through .gears 104 drives vertical shafts 106. Fast -outwardly to the positions shown by the full lines in Fig. 1, and beyond. Mounted in the upper ends of blades 50 is the shaft 112 in bosses .114. On shaft 112 between the blades is the sector gear v116, in mesh with gear 58 and having an upstanding arm 118. As sweeps 50 approach the lower ends of their strokes as above described, arms 118 encounter stop rods 120 supported in brackets across the ends of the machine andprevent arms 118 fromtravelling furtheriin that direction. As the blades continue to revolve, the result is that sector gear 116, being stationary, causes gear 58 to rotate on shaft 46, thus foroingthe raised portions 60 between humps 64 of the blades, forcing them apart. While they are thus separated, the gearing is reversed andthe blades are carried back to the upper ends of their stroke. When vnear the upper end of their travel, arm 118 encounters the stop bar 122 resulting in gear '58 being shifted so 'thathumps 64 resume .their normal positions in recesses 62 and the blades .are again in "position to make another opera- 7 v V c ftivie'down stroke. Splined on shaft 82,-between.gears 84 and On the downstroke the blades are held in forced contact with the hide by springs '54,

with theresult'that as the blades sweep over *the hide it is smoothed and stretched downwardly rand outwardly, or, in other words,

it is stretched'all ways "from the middle.

The time during 'the idle up stroke is utilized tolremove the frame and hide :just operated upon "and to bring another frame and hide into operative positionready for ithe next down stroke of the blades. This is usually done by an automatic conveyor system which slides the frames along rail 40.

The paths of the blades overlap to a certain extent, therefore, to avoid mechanical interference, they are so timed that one blade travels ahead of the other. The blade that leads going down, follows going up.

The mechanism thus far described is suitable for use under the usual ceilings found in tanneries.

If there is plenty of head room I use the modified construction shown in Fig. 9, in which the sweeps are double ended and rotate continually in the same direction, no reversing mechanism being necessary.

In this modification each sweep is fast on a shaft 150, upon which is also fast a worm gear 152. Gears 152 are driven by worms, 15-1 on the upper ends of vertical shafts 156, one adjacent each end of frame 20. The lower ends of shafts156 are provided with bevel gears 158 which are driven by corresponding gears 160 fast on the drive shaft 162. The sweeps travel in the direction indicated by the arrows, one sweep being sufficiently ahead of the other to avoid interference with each other. The driven shaft 162 may be driven in any suitable manner.

Under certain conditions it is advantageous to use rollers against the hide in place of the plain surface of the blades. When rollers are required I arrange them on the surface of the blades, substantially as in Fig. 6, in which they are in two rows, each roller 124 of one row being long enough to overlap the adjacent ends of two rollers in the other row.

Sometimes I find it advantageous to replace the long continuous working edge of the usual blade by a plurality of smaller blades as indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, in which the blade 50 is shown with two rows of staggered blades 126 secured to its under surface. Each blade or scraper 126 is provided with a coil spring 128 on bolt 130, the spring serving to rock the blade around its pivot ridge 132 which contacts against blade 50, thus forcing the blade into resilient contact with the hide. Stop screw 134 is provided to limit the movement of blade 126 in reverse direction. If desired, ridge 132 may be so shaped as to contact with blade 50 only at or near the middle of the length of the ridge, thereby permitting lateral rocking of blade 126 (Fig. 10).

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction herein illustrated and described but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spirit.

I claim 1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for supporting a hide, a movable member, a plurality of resiliently supported blades mounted on said member, and means operable to move said member relatively to said hide while so supported to cause said blades to traverse said hide to smooth and stretch said hide in a plurality of directions simultaneously.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 in which means is provided for separately adjusting the resiliency of each of said blades.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, means for supporting a hide, a movable member, a plurality of blades mounted on said member, and means operable to move said member relatively to said hide while so supported to cause said blades to traverse said hide to smooth and stretch. said hide in a plurality of directions simultaneously, each of said blades being so mounted on said member as to permit lateral rockin of the blades thereby permitting the blades to adapt themselves to an uneven surface.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

JOSEPH A. MEYER. 

